sonorous

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: so=no=rous

CIDE DICTIONARY

sonorous, a. [L. sonorus, fr. sonor, -oris, a sound, akin to sonus a sound. See Sound.].

•  Giving sound when struck; resonant; as, sonorous metals.  [1913 Webster]
•  Loud-sounding; giving a clear or loud sound; as, a sonorous voice.  [1913 Webster]
•  Yielding sound; characterized by sound; vocal; sonant; as, the vowels are sonorous.  [1913 Webster]
•  Impressive in sound; high-sounding.  [1913 Webster]

  "The Italian opera, amidst all the meanness and familiarty of the thoughts, has something beautiful and sonorous in the expression."  [1913 Webster]

  "There is nothing of the artificial Johnsonian balance in his style. It is as often marked by a pregnant brevity as by a sonorous amplitude."  [1913 Webster]
•  Sonant; vibrant; hence, of sounds produced in a cavity, deep-toned; as, sonorous rhonchi.  [1913 Webster]

Sonorous figures (Physics), figures formed by the vibrations of a substance capable of emitting a musical tone, as when the bow of a violin is drawn along the edge of a piece of glass or metal on which sand is strewed, and the sand arranges itself in figures according to the musical tone. Called also acoustic figures. -- Sonorous tumor (Med.), a tumor which emits a clear, resonant sound on percussion.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

sonorous, adj.
1 having a loud, full, or deep sound; resonant.
2 (of a speech, style, etc.) imposing, grand.

Derivative

sonority n. sonorously adv. sonorousness n.

Etymology

L sonorus f. sonor sound

THESAURUS

sonorous

Gongoresque, Johnsonian, achingly sweet, affected, agreeable, agreeable-sounding, appealing, ariose, arioso, aureate, bedizened, big-sounding, bombastic, booming, canorous, cantabile, catchy, clangorous, clattery, consonant, convoluted, deafening, declamatory, droning, dulcet, ear-piercing, ear-rending, ear-splitting, earthshaking, elevated, euphonic, euphonious, euphonous, euphuistic, fine-toned, flamboyant, flaming, flashy, flaunting, flowery, forte, fortissimo, full, fulsome, garish, gaudy, golden, golden-tongued, golden-voiced, grandiloquent, grandiose, grandisonant, high-flowing, high-flown, high-flying, high-sounding, highfalutin, honeyed, inkhorn, labyrinthine, lexiphanic, lofty, loud, loud-sounding, loudish, lurid, magniloquent, melic, mellifluent, mellifluous, mellisonant, mellow, melodic, melodious, meretricious, monotone, monotonic, music-flowing, music-like, musical, noiseful, oratorical, orotund, ostentatious, overblown, overdone, overelaborate, overinvolved, overwrought, pealing, pedantic, piercing, plangent, pleasant, pleasant-sounding, pompous, pretentious, pulsing, rackety, resonant, resonating, resounding, rhetorical, rich, ringing, rolling, rotund, round, sensational, sensationalistic, sententious, showy, silver-toned, silver-tongued, silver-voiced, silvery, singable, songful, songlike, soniferous, sounded, sounding, stentoraphonic, stentorian, stentorious, stilted, sweet, sweet-flowing, sweet-sounding, tall, throbbing, thunderous, tonal, toneless, tonitruant, tonitruous, tortuous, tunable, tuneful, uproarious, vibrant, vibrating, window-rattling

ROGET THESAURUS

sonorous

Ornament

N ornament, floridness c, adj, turgidity, turgescence, altiloquence, declamation, teratology, well-rounded periods, elegance, orotundity, inversion, antithesis, alliteration, paronomasia, figurativeness, flourish, flowers of speech, flowers of rhetoric, frills of style, euphuism, euphemism, big-sounding words, high-sounding words, macrology, sesquipedalia verba, Alexandrine, inflation, pretension, rant, bombast, fustian, prose run mad, fine writing, sesquipedality, Minerva press, phrasemonger, euphuist, euphemist, ornament, beautified, ornate, florid, rich, flowery, euphuistic, euphemistic, sonorous, high-sounding, big-sounding, inflated, swelling, tumid, turgid, turgescent, pedantic, pompous, stilted, orotund, high flown, high flowing, sententious, rhetorical, declamatory, grandiose, grandiloquent, magniloquent, altiloquent, sesquipedal, sesquipedalian, Johnsonian, mouthy, bombastic, fustian, frothy, flashy, flaming, antithetical, alliterative, figurative, artificial, ore rutundo, ornament, ornamentation, ornamental art, ornature, ornateness, adornment, decoration, embellishment, architecture, jewelry, garnish, polish, varnish, French polish, veneer, japanning, lacquer, gilding, plating, ormolu, enamel, cloisonn_e, cosmetics (in general), makeup, eye shadow, rouge, face powder, lipstick, blush, pattern, diaper, powdering, paneling, graining, pargeting, detail, repousse (convexity), texture, richness, tracery, molding, fillet, listel, strapwork, coquillage, flourish, fleur-de-lis, arabesque, fret, anthemion, egg and tongue, egg and dart, astragal, zigzag, acanthus, cartouche, pilaster, bead, beading, champleve ware, cloisonne ware, frost work, Moresque, Morisco, tooling, embroidery, brocade, brocatelle, galloon, lace, fringe, trapping, border, edging, trimming, hanging, tapestry, arras, millinery, ermine, drap d'or, wreath, festoon, garland, chaplet, flower, nosegay, bouquet, posy, daisies pied and violets blue, tassel knot, shoulder knot, apaulette, epaulet, aigulet, frog, star, rosette, bow, feather, plume, pompom, panache, aigrette, finery, frippery, gewgaw, gimcrack, tinsel, spangle, clinquant, pinchbeck, paste, excess of ornament, gaud, pride, illustration, illumination, vignette, fleuron, head piece, tail piece, cul-de-lampe, flowers of rhetoric, work of art, ornamented, beautified, ornate, rich, gilt, begilt, tesselated, festooned, champleve, cloisonne, topiary, smart, gay, trickly, flowery, glittering, new gilt, new spangled, fine as a Mayday queen, fine as a fivepence, fine as a carrot fresh scraped, pranked out, bedight, well-groomed, in full dress, dressed to kill, dressed to the nines, dressed to advantage, in Sunday best, en grand tenue, en grande toilette, in best bib and tucker, endimanche, showy, flashy, gaudy, garish, gairish, gorgeous, ornamental, decorative, becoming.

Sound

N sound, noise, strain, accent, twang, intonation, tone, cadence, sonorousness, audibility, resonance, voice, aspirate, ideophone, rough breathing, acoustics, phonics, phonetics, phonology, phonography, diacoustics, diaphonics, phonetism, sounding, soniferous, sonorous, sonorific, resonant, audible, distinct, stertorous, phonetic, phonic, phonocamptic, a thousand trills and quivering sounds, forensis strepitus.

Loudness

N loudness, power, loud noise, din, blare, clang, clangor, clatter, noise, bombilation, roar, uproar, racket, hubbub, bobbery, fracas, charivari, trumpet blast, flourish of trumpets, fanfare, tintamarre, peal, swell, blast, larum, boom, bang (explosion), resonance, vociferation, hullabaloo, lungs, Stentor, artillery, cannon, thunder, loud, sonorous, high-sounding, big-sounding, deep, full, powerful, noisy, blatant, clangorous, multisonous, thundering, deafening, trumpet-tongued, ear-splitting, ear-rending, ear-deafening, piercing, obstreperous, rackety, uproarious, enough to wake the dead, enough to wake seven sleepers, shrill &c 410 clamorous stentorian, stentorophonic, loudly, aloud, at the top of one's voice, at the top of one's lungs, lustily, in full cry, the air rings with, the deep dread-bolted thunder.

Resonance

N resonance, ring, ringing, tintinabulation, reflexion, reflection, reverberation, echo, reecho, zap, zot, buzz (hiss), low note, base note, bass note, flat note, grave note, deep note, bass, basso, basso profondo, baritone, barytone, contralto, echo chamber, resonator, tinnitus, bell, doorbell, buzzer, gong, cymbals (musical instruments), sympathetic vibrations, natural frequency, coupled vibration frequency, overtone, resonating cavity, sounding board, tuning fork, tuning, squelch, frequency selection, resonator, resonator circuit, radio resonant structure, aromaticity, alternating double bonds, non-bonded resonance, pi clouds, unsaturation, double bond, (valence), resounding, resonant, reverberant, tinnient, tintinnabulary, sonorous, booming, deep-toned, deep-sounding, deep-mouthed, vibrant, hollow, sepulchral, gruff, sweet bells jangled, out of time and harsh, echoing down the mountain and through the dell.